Continuing w/ the China theme, this image is another one from the 1999 trip. When you visit the Forbidden City (or at least when you did in 1999), there is a wide variety of Chinese tourists there. Typically, people from the provinces who may not have been to Beijing, or a city at all, come to see these sights. As a Westerner, especially a tall and/or blonde one, one gets gawked at a lot. In addition to these tourists, one also sees a large number of Chinese military personnel - not on active duty - who are looking about as tourists.
What has always struck me in this image is the trouble these 2 soldiers are taking to get things "just right". With today's cameras, you rarely need a tripod to take a sharp picture in broad daylight. The fact that they are using the tripod speaks to me about how important this portrait is for them. With all the activity around them, they are still focused on getting the right kind of picture to take home, or frame for the family.
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